Beyond the Horizon

Heartland Special Edition

by Lauren Brooke

Heartland is a horse farm nestled in the hills of Virginia, but it's much more than that. Heartland is like no other place - it's a place where the scars of the past can be healed, a place where frightened and abused horses learn to trust again.

Heartland has always been the center of Amy's life. But since she started her pre-veterinary program at college, her life has changed. When Amy returns home for spring break, she finds things are different there, too - her family, her boyfriend, Ty, and even her place at Heartland. When a classmate, Will, asks her to come to Arizona to help a distressed horse, Amy has a huge choice to make. Torn between the comfort of her old life and the adventure of a new one, Amy has to decide if Heartland is still everything to her, or if it's time to move on.

Genres: Horses, Young Adult, Animals, Middle Grade, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Childrens

202 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

Lauren Brooke grew up in a ranch in Virginia and now lives in Leicestershire, England. Her husband is a veterinarian who specializes in horses. Her books have been published by Scholastic since Mid-2000, starting with the first book of the Heartland book series. The first book of her popular Chestnut Hill series was published in 2005.

According to an interview on scholastics' website, Lauren Brooke has been riding since before she could walk. She also said she competes in a few local-level horse shows and events.

There may be some other people in books and movies named Lauren Brooke:
Amazon lists the author of "Book of spiritual regeneration" (1995) as Lauren Brooke.
IMDB.com has a record for an Actress named Lauren Brooke. Her only movie is "Wiseguys vs. Zombies" (2003) as Goat Man's Wife.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amy is looking forward to coming home during her college spring break. She's all set to do an internship with Scott, but things are weird when she arrives home. She isn't sure what is going on with her and Ty, so when a friend from school, Will, asks Amy to come out to his internship on an Arizona ranch to help save a troubled horse from being put down, Amy decides to go. While in Arizona, Amy realizes that college has allowed her to see all the possibilities in life and that she can't be solely dedicated to Heartland and Ty anymore.

The end of this book when Amy breaks up with Ty was a huge downer. Not that I expected them to stay together forever, but for a middle-grade series it seemed very heavy. For a while I've had some problems even seeing Amy and Ty as a couple, since this is a middle grade series and they never seem to do more than hold hands, which makes their relationship seem very cold or businesslike. Aside from Heartland, they didn't seem to have much in common anymore.

As usual, Amy is able to save the horse with some Bach Flower Remedies and a join up. The section where she deals with the horse in Arizona was more like the other books in the series, just a little longer. I'll be interested to see what turns Amy's life takes in the next two special editions.

[Alex Apostol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first story after the numbered series. Amy is away at college studying to be a vet and coming home for Spring Break. I think this is a great story for high school kids to read because it deals with the tough issue of leaving home and coming back to find not everything is how you left it; routines change, homes change, and relationships can change too. Amy ends up leaving for the desert to help a horse on its last chance before being put down. She only has days to prove he's safe to ride the ranch again after a traumatic cougar attack. That story would have made an amazing episode for the show! I'm surprised they haven't used it.

[Tibbara's Den · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it wasn't for the beginning of the book, this would have been a five-star. But the beginning was angsty, and suddenly, Sundance was a palomino instead of a buckskin. I can understand the mistake a little as the main horse Amy is working with is a palomino. Sundance's back story is referenced again, and while still inconsistent with the main series and journal, the author at least was consistent with what she wrote in A Holiday Memory. It also started right off the bat with a bunch of different characters from college, none of which (other than Will) mattered. Plus, it was written oddly and was confusing (Katie looking for wraps and going into a stall only for Sharona to come out of the stall). Once Amy headed to Arizona, the story really took off. I liked the desert and ranch setting. I enjoyed the horse she is working with and even the ranch side characters. The drama, while a little over the top in regards to Mike, was overall entertaining. I also got emotional at the end of the book and liked how the author had the characters handle the situation. It really showed the growth that we had seen from the characters throughout the main series.

[kat♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

reading the second to last book i own of this series and its companion stories, its a bittersweet feeling as i start to say goodbye to something that had been a part of my childhood. the stories, however simply written, leave their mark on you. and this one was no exception. i cant say i was thrilled about the ending, but it also goes to show that sometimes no matter how much you love someone, life can take you on different paths. that doesnt mean that things will go back to the way they were but its a life lesson that sometimes there’s more to life than what you thought you wanted or what you have. sometimes, you have to venture outside your comfort zone, no matter how scary that might be. because if you dont, you might miss out on the amazing opportunities that lie in a future you didnt take.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable book. Nice to see Amy visiting somewhere new and interesting to see a setting more like the TV show. A little surprised by her break up with Ty given they were kept together through the main series and this is just one of the specials, but it was also fairly obvious that this was going to happen from the set up at the start of the book - probably breaking a lot of kids hearts though!

[Slow Reader and Crafter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all the Heartland books when i was a teenager, at least all the ones that where translated in Dutch. This is the first one i read in English and i still love it. I still want to work on a place like Heartland. Ty and Amy where my favorite couple i have read over in children/YA books. The ending of this book makes me cry.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this add on to the series even though the ending was not what I expected.

[Alyson Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: Heartland: Beyond the Horizon
Author: Lauren Brooke
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

I used to read this series a lot and I loved the books. I own a lot of the earlier books, so I haven't gotten the chance to read very many where the characters are a little bit older. I love books that take place on a farm and in the country-since that is where I am from. I will say this and keep saying this: These are excellent books for tween girls (10-13 years old).

Amy comes back home for spring break and finds that it is really difficult to adjust to life at Heartland again. It seems like she is torn between her university life and her home life. She longs to have both, but feels that she really does not belong at home anymore. These are very realistic feelings, because most university students deal with these feelings at some point. Okay, here comes the kicker about Amy. Ready? I also noticed that Amy really did not age. She really does not have the maturely level of a university student. I don't know, but I really do not see any difference from this older Amy than the Amy that we were introduced to in Coming Home.

I really do like how the characters do seem to be going their own ways and starting their own lives, but it did seem a little childish to me. I don't know, but it just did not seem like the characters acted their age at all. Most people would not be okay with Amy taking off like she did, especially since she has not been home very much. In real life, I think that they would at least fight a little harder to keep her at home.

I was also disappointed with the cow drive. It was too simply and not very realistic. I am sorry, but Lauren Brooke needs to stay in Heartland and Terri Farley take care of the western stuff. Lauren is good at what she knows and it seems like that she really does not know all that much about running a western style ranch. Stay in Heartland and you will be golden!

It was your typical Heartland book, but the ending was really, really depressing and really simple. I don't know. I just would have thought that it would have been more emotional, but it was very dry and just too simply. I just would have thought that after all this time, there would have been a bite more drama.

Overall, still a good book, but it was just a little bit too simple for my liking. Amy and the characters just need to be allowed to age a little and I think we will really have something. Those of us who want to see Amy age do still have the TV show. However, tweens will eat this stuff up! It is right for their age level and maturity level!

[David Burnworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this was a tough read, only because I have watched the entire series and there Amy and Ty are married and stay that way until Ty dies because he wanted off of the show. *Big mistake on his part*
In this story, Amy comes home from college on a break and her plan is to rekindle the relationship with Ty. Right off they both feel off before they have time to fix things a classmate of Amy's calls and ask for her help in Arizona with a horse, who was attacked by a mountain lion and abandoned by his rider during the attack. Of course Amy puts the horse's needs before hers and takes off to Arizona. The ranch owner is going to put the horse down if Amy can not get it over its fear of being ridden and its fear of humans. With the odds against her, Amy uses a lot of the Heartland methods to help the horse and by the time her deadline is up she has worked the Heartland magic and saves the horse but will he be allowed to stay on the Ranch or will he be sold? Read the book to find out. After Amy gets home the first thing she does is break up with Ty. Ty understands because he felt the same way about their relationship.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've already read a good chunk of the Heartland series, and happened to find this one at my local thrift store. Like many others in the series, this book features Amy Flemming, and a horse in danger that needs Amy's help. In this book, that horse is Loup - a horse with severe abandonment issues, mixed with depression, fear and a hatred of humans. Amy has only 4 days to break through to this horse and start riding him again, to prevent him from being put down.

While most of the horse scenes are far from palpable, the content and overall story was decent. Again, I really hope that some little girl doesn't try Amy's training methods with a horse of her own and get hurt, but as a fictional story, I continue to enjoy this series.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this special edition of the Heartland series, Amy is coming home from college on a break. She is really looking forward to seeing her family and Ty, her boyfriend. Unfortunately, home isn't feeling much like home, and she takes a friend up on an offer to come help out at his place with a horse. Is home more important to her or are new adventures more important? I think that everyone goes through this type of situation at some point as they grow and mature. You have to find out where you fit in the world as you grow.

[Olivia H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It would’ve been a great addition to the 20 book series, if Amy and Ty hadn’t taken a “break” from each other. Yes, I’m very glad that it was on good terms, but I still would’ve liked it more if they hadn’t split up at all. Very good series and definitely recommend you read all of them, including the special addition books!

[livresetsonges · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura revient à Heartland mais rien n'est plus pareil. Elle n'est plus si indispensable, et cela la fait souffrir. Ces sentiments se bousculent, et elle cherche à retrouver sa place. Un très bon tome qui se termine en apothéose et qui donne de suite envie de lire la suite.

[Ayunda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Heartland! It's a great and touching story. I've never read any books about horses before, but this was a great first experience. :)

[Joanna]

It was a nice book :-D:-D:-D

[Suzy Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

read as a child.

A good series about a girl working with horses and dealing with grief.

[Morgan]

"own"

[Amanda Schell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore the heartland series!!!